Flicker
by Ira Dei
Summary: Living in a place where freedom is an unobtainable luxury, Law had no choice but let himself be saved by this prick, who, apparently, promised freedom in exchange of telling his life story and accompany him whenever he's bored. As stupid as it might sound, but Law can't help but to feel a little bit of security whenever the brat's around. [LawLu]


As cliché as it might sounds, but that day, their first meeting, was raining.

Though it was nothing as a thunderstorm—just a heavy rainfall with a moderate wind that blows some water to splats on your face. Trafalgar Law, missing a hand, panting heavily and all his senses was as numb as his right hand; gone, no longer owns it, no longer a part of his body.

He wasn't exactly taking a rest in front of Luffy's house; ten meters away from his house was actually pretty far by walking distance, especially when you're in near-death experience kind of state that Law used to feel that day. If anyone's passing around that small, cramped alley with trash and muds, most likely they will let Death crawls slowly and take his life away, letting his body rot in the most miserable state that he ever imagine.

Law was a weak at that day; and weaklings can't choose how they wished to die.

And if it had been his usual self, Law wouldn't even think about wanted to be saved; it was a silly thinking, but that was how he used to be, feeling ashamed of being saved. For he was a doctor, and he can fight well—one of many reasons why everyone in the up top likes him, and also to tell some tales about how he got early promotion in the military—of course he would feel that, himself, is capable for such thing. He still cared about his teammates, as few exceptions among so many people that he hate so much. His teammates are really loyal to him, being respected as team's captain, and it was the best thing ever, to get yourself being trusted and not being blamed if something's getting out of control. So it is a must for him to do the same towards his teammates, being loyal and would never be happened to disappoint them. Promised them that he would help his best to get over this war and live a peaceful life once this war stops.

But now they're gone from this world before that happens, and he was there, being helpless and muttering about things that he might lost; thinking about how he had broken the promise that cannot be undone, or the fact at that time where he wasn't even ready to face the death but he can already feel the blood lost flowing from his right hand. His first aid wasn't really that neat, made from scraps that he could find just so that he can escape and not to die in his captor's hands, although he had to admit it did some astonishing job to let him live for almost 24 hours and sort of stopping the bleeding.

Nevertheless, it was a horrid view.

That was why Law didn't believe that someone would pick him up and even with those clumsiness and inexperienced hands taking care of him. Did not even believe that someone would care enough to carry him when all hopes seems lost. Even in moments where catching a single breath seems so hard, he still try his best to see that certain someone who was not disgusted by his condition; carrying him with feet shaking, opening the door that was locked with efforts that wasn't usually there, and how the brat who saved his life actually willing to put Law on his bed.

He wants to remember who had saved his life.

Wants to remember about the time when he was being treated as a human after a while.

* * *

The first time they met, it was also the same time that Law owed Luffy his life for the first time.

He does not precisely know the details to the last bits of it, yet at the same time, it was quite nice to think about it. To think someone saved you in the day where you think there is no hope left for living, neither for any chances to see even a flicker of freedom. Well, even until now, he is not exactly a free man, but it was better than how the Trafalgar Law was three months ago.

Time flies so fast if you got someone who cannot cook a single thing, yet still managed to get some coffee beans and actually makes it as how Law would like it to be.

Three months ago, Law wouldn't think that he would be here, would not be sitting over a second-hand leather sofa that they found and patched some parts together when it was arriving at this little, warm house with a warm, black coffee. It wasn't looking as convincing as Law tried to describe it, but surprisingly, it is comfortable and satisfying enough, considering that around three months ago he was lying under the rain and feels like about to die.

They, as in he and the prick who had been kind enough to save him.

"Hey, hey. I'm home."

Who, apparently, just coming back home after half a day gone somewhere for whatever it is.

"You're back quite early today."

It might sound as rude as it sounds to call his lifesaver a prick, but that's how he is. A cheerful, clumsy, and a brat-looking face with bottomless pit of stomach who always found a reason to keep on smiling, like it was nothing to be worried of, or that today could be the last day that he would see the sunshine shining high up in the sky. Or worse, not worrying about how they would eat tomorrow considering at how hard around these times to find good food and that brat always eat like tomorrow would be the end of the day and he would never taste food anymore.

"Of course, you'll cook something for me other than eggs and potatoes for today, right? You promised me that it'll be a lot and delicious!" he gave up a big smile, and sit beside Law, grabbing his new prosthetic arms. "And it seems that Franky did a very good job with it. You're now able to move your hands properly, right? I see you did it well yesterday."

War had met their end, although it's obvious that being hungry and can't eat a thing is more like a common need to be human when you happened to get stuck in North Dressrosa where being rich after the wall that divides the (used to be) rich and powerful kingdom into two. It is still in questions about how Luffy can managed to keep their living is as good as no war ever happened.

"You don't know how big the effort needed to control it. I'm still not used to it." Law replies with his usual bored-sounded tone. "Didn't expect you to come back this soon, though. And I told you so many times to stop eating our stocks, really."

They don't even know each other from the beginning, anyways, but here they are, living together with anything that Luffy can get—again, from wherever he can have it. Sometimes he can earn the luxury as having good quality meat, fresh vegetables (as in really fresh), and spices. Damn imported spices that is so impossible to get when you're living inside a wall, inside a nation where freedom is meaningless and living as a poor is more into a must rather than happened because series of misfortunes and big, bad choices that humans tend to make.

Maybe Luffy happened to be lucky enough to even maintain the crippling roof above his head, which, sometimes, when he's free, would patch it with some leftovers wood that he found in second-hand and recycle store. Keeping this little house that might fall any time soon as clean as possible, which is funny, that Luffy might not be the best in that area but he keeps his best to maintaining hygiene while didn't care a bit about his eating habit that will most likely kills him first.

"But you promised me, if I can get you a new hand, you will cook me something delicious."

Speaking about Luffy, also known as this brat.

"Well yeah I did promise about it being delicious, but I didn't said about it being grand."

Law didn't expect him would be older than 30, judging by his appearance. However, he was quite surprised when he found out that this brat is actually _still a brat_. For God's sake, he was still eighteen when he started to do this kind of job that might take his life in mere seconds, if he ever found. It's been seven years since he started to do this messed up job, living at the North side of the used-to-be-a-rich-kingdom, yet it's like the brat side of him won't leave that petite, slender body who always craves for food. Being 25 now doesn't mean your mental age would also be around your physical age, it seems.

"Lame, you're such a stuck-up old man, while I'm the one who also pays for your living too, Law."

"I saved your wallet's ass once I wake up, you don't even know how it feels when you woke up after few days and the first thing I read about is your eviction notice, _way before_ you come home and introduce yourself."

Still a mystery and huge damn of luck about how Luffy managed to survive up until now.

"Yeah, thanks for saving up my wallet, thought I was going to be a homeless." Luffy grins, huge smile drawn on his face while his hand scratching his head that is not really itchy. "I still saved your life, and will do more after this."

Somehow it makes something inside him getting uneasy, and the reason is no other than this brat who just talked about that in a joking manner. Everything about him, about Luffy, for reasons still unknown to him.

"You're really hopeless."

Law had passed the last three months being a stuck-up one-armed house guard until today.

"Am not." Luffy huffed, staring at Law for a moment before pinching his cheek—that soon being shooed by Law's new arm. "Come on, get your ass off from the sofa and cook me something."

It's been three months and everything flew so fast, they're close but not really close at the same time. It's all about having a peaceful life all these three months, but he still can't feel free. It's all about Luffy who happened to managed to save his life, yet can't even cook a single thing to save his stomach. It's all about Luffy's expectation to cook for him while he only got an arm left and he's, somewhat, always fall to those puppy eyes and by now he managed to cook a perfect round-shaped egg with only a hand. It's all about everything in the past three months that Law cannot comprehend.

"I swear I'm going to choke you if you make any hand jokes in any of these moments again, and you seriously demands me to cook while I just got a new hand yesterday."

"You can _**hand**_le the past three months pretty well, though."

"Luffy, for fuck's sake, stop it."

"I'll stop when you cook for me now."

These past three months feels so surrealistic.

* * *

Nevertheless, it's always nice to have a company who gives a cheerful laugh every day.

Especially when it's regarding hyperactive being like Luffy, who can't seem to stop talking once he opened his eyes. Seems so happy that he didn't bother to stop talking and introducing himself, about how happy he was that his first time saving another person from bleeding and infection did turn out as expected and not getting Law killed because of mistreatment.

Apparently the first reason that motivates Luffy to save him is because Luffy is a bored human who's quite lonely and been talking to random objects just to feel humane.

Law doesn't know how to react when he heard that.

"We can call it a trade; sort of, like, equal. You can cook for me and I will compensate your living for as long as you like. It's nice to have someone to talk with, anyways. How's that sound?"

And it was that easy.

Too fucking easy and Law can't even fathom that it's _**really**_ that fucking easy to make the brat trusted Law that he won't do any harm.

Oh well, he's already missing an arm anyways, obviously Law would not be capable to _**hand**_le if situation doesn't favor him, and Luffy would be more dependable in that case.

Or so Luffy says.

Fuck that brat for saying such things right around the moment when he was just still grasping about where the hell he is, who the hell is this life savior who seems okay to pay for Law's living expense in exchange that he will do the cooking and be a good company that he can talk with, also guarding his house while Luffy goes to do his job, which sometimes took him days before he actually come back home.

Law never know where did Luffy go, but he always says that he's doing a job.

"It's quite dangerous, and you gotta' need more than a hand to do it good."

Apparently the pay is quite good, as much as the danger does. Sometimes Luffy claimed that he earned an extra payment in form of great raw foods, some canned tuna and canned tomatoes that they can use. Some antiques that Luffy sells again for money, or trading some things for money and to keep up with their monthly billing.

"Your jokes are totally lame and I already got more than a fucking hand to do it."

Life is hard when you only got a crippling house, and tax is getting more and more expensive each days. But for Luffy, it's just as exciting as having an illegal, prisoner of war such as Trafalgar Law who is chased down by the government and he doesn't give any fucks about the danger as long as he's able to pay the bills each month.

"But Law, I still don't trust you that you can hand it well."

It takes a while until Law gets a hold or two on how he should adapt himself living together with Luffy. That brat is like an enigma; sometimes he can be dead serious, most of the time he is a cheerful guy who will always ask Law to cook him some food because he'd been hungry all day long and because Law can use a hand to cook. Luffy's hand jokes are mainly all about that one or two topics, he hadn't been really creative with his jokes, but Law have to admit that it's dully entertaining, strange.

"Fuck you and your hand jokes."

Still, if this is not a post-war time, Law believes that they can be, well, a dysfunctional roommates that might have their own fun. If they're legal citizens and doing their own legal job to earn some things for living, it might be really, really fun.

"Why, thank you, Law."

Because it was only a week later after Law woke up that he found out Luffy is a smuggler and Luffy doesn't even bother to keep it a secret from Law.

And in that moment, Law knows that wherever he wished to go, he's nowhere near being in peace right now.

.

.

"_Here's the deal, you give me everything you got, and I'll make sure you can have get your freedom with some patience, how's that sound?"_

.

.

**To Be Continued**

* * *

So I decided that during this end-of-year holiday, I'll try to polishing up my English skill, bit by bit, because the last time I tried to write a story in English it was around 2-3 years ago. I'll also try my best to update this constantly orz.

Also it's almost two in the morning and I decided to work this one out because I can't sleep, rushing this one in two hours, so sorry if there's any grammar mistakes and such. Anyways, I hope you like it!


End file.
